


What He Definitely Knows

by 1d_larryshipper



Series: What He Knows [3]
Category: One Direction
Genre: Angst, Boys Kissing, Confusion, Fluff, Happy Ending, Kissing, M/M, Mixed Emotions, few tears
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-01-05
Updated: 2014-01-05
Packaged: 2018-01-07 12:53:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,912
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1120043
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/1d_larryshipper/pseuds/1d_larryshipper
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Zayn wakes up remembering everything from the night before. Liam isn't so sure he does.</p><p>Part 3 in the What He Knows Series.</p>
            </blockquote>





	What He Definitely Knows

**Author's Note:**

> I want to start off by saying how SORRY I am that this took so long. As some of you may know from reading one of my comments, I had my purse stolen while I was studying abroad. Inside my purse was my cellphone and it was where I was writing all of my fanfic. I came home and was really upset over it (ten fanfics GONE) and got my replacement phone but found out a week into it that I had all my fanfic backed up to Icloud! You know...not my contacts, photos, other important things. But the fanfic was saved! I then had to take the newer version of this story and the older version of this story and morph them together. Then the holidays came up, and a friend came to visit, and then the worst part. I got REALLY ill. Like I couldn't eat or move from my bed I was so sick. They almost had to take me to the hospital but the medication the doctors gave me ended up helping me so I didn't have to. I'm still in the process of healing but I was up to writing this fanfic tonight so I finished it up. Hope you all looove it! xx.
> 
> tl;dr-I got my phone stolen, found fanfic on phone, holidays, got sick, finished this. Sorry it's late.
> 
> YA! Hope you love it and it isn't to boring or cliched or anything else.

Saturday morning finds Zayn face down on the sofa covered in a blanket he doesn’t remember pulling over himself. He can hear soft humming coming from the kitchen, and the clanking sound he can only assume is the tea kettle, alluding to the fact that Louis must be awake. Zayn groans softly, and curls himself deeper in the comfort of the warm blanket trying to remember everything from the night before. Before the fight sequence had broken out he had been well on his way to being extremely pissed, but Louis' tears had sobered him somewhat, at least he thought. Then the kiss with Liam...Liam. He hopes he's correct in remembering how much Liam had wanted to kiss him as he did Liam. His cheeks still burned from their stubble rubbing together, and his jaw felt the best kind of sore.

 

 He also hopes that Liam wasn't letting the alcohol talk when he agreed that they could get coffee together today. Maybe even dinner before Harry's exhibition, or just sitting in the flat talking about Liam's interests. Even if they never worked out romantically he would really enjoy having a close relationship with Liam. At least when he came down to London he would have someone besides The Married Couple to hang around with.

 

“Lou,” He groans loudly and the humming ceases in place of Louis’ face leaning over the back of the sofa. He grins cheekily and hardly winces at the pull of the cut on his lip. Zayn’s mind automatically flashes back to watching Harry wipe away the blood the night before, and Nick’s words. “Alright?” Zayn asks softly to him, and decides against saying anything about the humming.

 

“M’fine!” Louis walks around the sofa and tugs at Zayn. “Well budge up then, yeah? Let’s pull out the bedding so we can have a proper lie down.” Zayn stands up grumbling and let’s Louis do all the work in setting up the bed before they both collapse on it in mirrored positions on their bellies, heads’ pillowed on their arm.

 

"Lip looks good," Zayn says sleepily and lets Louis get comfortable by cuddling under the blanket with him.

 

"Quite the prize," Louis muses. They are eye to eye and Zayn closes his hoping Louis will just go back to bed, so the sick furling in his belly will stop trying to make its way out.

 

"Zayn," No such luck then. Zayn cracks an eye open at him with a cocked eyebrow. "I saw Liam this morning," Louis doesn't even bother to pitch his voice low. Zayns' first instinct is to shush the boy and look towards Liam's door which happened to be wide open.

 

Realizing he's resembling a deer in the headlights rather than a cool and calm Zayn Malik he says, "Shocker considering he lives here." He wishes his face and voice could match the confidence in his words.

 

"Don't have to act like Mr. Cool to me," Louis smirks, "He won't overhear us, he went out for a jog or something. He won't be back for awhile." Zayn closes his eyes again and then shifts his hips away from Louis’ in hopes to hide the fact that he's half hard imagining Liam running with his biceps sweating and his calves straining, and fuck Zayn wasn't getting up until this boner was gone. "Don't you want to know why I'm gracing your bed with this very jovial news?"

 

"Because you're very annoying." Zayn snaps and Louis looks affronted for a minute before smirking again and then poking one of his fingers into the side of Zayn's face to lift up mouth in a mock smile; giggling when Zayn growls at him and takes his own hand to twist Louis' so it's trapped behind his back. Louis cackles loudly, and then jerks his hand free only to tickle at Zayn's side before Zayn is laughing (not out of free will) and on his back throwing his hands up in surrender.

 

"Okay, God you're so obnoxious, no idea why Harry loves you so much. What was so important about you seeing Liam in his own flat that you felt the need to climb into my sofa bed and torment me?" Louis crawls off of where he had settled, quite unfortunately, on Zayn's semi and falls back into his original position on his belly.

 

"He was staring at you," Louis says matter of fact and when Zayn doesn't immediately respond; he frowns, "Like proper staring. As if you were a jewel or something."

 

"A jewel?" Zayn says in disbelief, “Lou, he wasn't staring because he thought I was a jewel. Maybe I had drool on my face. Not everyone is like you and Harry." Zayn doesn't want to get his hopes up thinking that Liam was staring at him like he was something he had never seen before. What if the staring had been the stare of regret? Zayn is really going to be sick sometime soon.

 

"I have to agree that no relationship is as lovely and romantic as my own," Louis brags, "However I did ask why he was staring at you as if you were the first piece of meat he had seen after a month of hunger striking-"

 

"You've got such a way with words Louis,"

 

"-Anyways. So I said? 'Oh good morning Liam. Is there a reason you're staring at Zayn?' And he got proper embarrassed with me and kept stuttering out he wasn't sure what I was talking about, etcetera. You know-typical guilty caught man talk. Anyways, I know how to work the pity card and Liam may or may not have admitted to sharing a cheeky little peck with you last night." Louis looks very proud of himself, his eyes all light up and cheeks flushed happily. Zayn wants to maul him.

 

"May or may not have?" Is all Zayn says trying not to give anything away.

 

"May or may not have." Louis confirms.

 

"You're ridiculous." He's saved from divulging anymore dangerous conversation topics about Liam by Harry opening the bedroom door and stumbling into the living room with heavy eyes.

 

He stumbles over to Louis, never fully in control of those long limbs, and looks down at where Zayn had nestled up near Louis’ legs in accidental excitement over the news of Liam’s morning stare habits. His face shifts and he gets a look on his face of extreme discomfort, staring over to Zayn with confused eyes. He moves to stand behind Louis and runs a hand through Louis’ bed rumpled hair and then leans down to press a few kisses along Louis’ neck and plaster his bare chest against Louis’ clothed back.

 

It takes less than a second for Zayn to realize that Harry’s jealous of how close Zayn had accidentally scooted towards Louis, and the hand scratching through Louis’ hair is one of possession. “Hi baby,” Louis murmurs quietly to Harry and turns his cheek to catch Harry’s wandering lips in a kiss.

 

"Baby duck, thought you were just getting tea and coming back for a cuddle?" Harry says to Louis and the use of the nickname is deliberate.

 

"I was," Louis makes grabby hands at Harry until Harry sits down on the edge of the sofa next to Louis' head and traces patters along Louis' stomach pressing under the baggy shirt Louis was wearing. "Just had to talk to Zayn here. Liam was trying to tell me treacherous lies about how Zayn and he will be better friends than you and I. I had to be sure this was not a confirmed thought by Zayn, and if it was I needed to defend our honor." Harry looks as relieved as Zayn feels, eternally grateful Louis doesn't bring up Liam mentioning the kiss.

 

"My Prince Charming," Harry leans down to kiss Louis and that's when Zayn realizes that Harry had only pants on, a flash of his hard cock peeking up from the waistband catching Zayn's eye as Harry twists around to kiss at Louis' face some more.

 

“Augh!” Zayn screeches at Harry and Louis who were now sucking on each others tongues, “I can see your cock, can’t you two go do this in Harry’s very private room that’s right there?” Zayn covers his eyes with a hand and groans loudly as he hears the two of them laughing.

 

“Oh babe, how saucy,” Louis smirks at his boyfriend. Harry giggles and pecks Louis on the lips, and then stands up and scoops his boyfriend up in bridal style. "Haz!" Louis giggles but throws his arms around Harry's neck regardless.

 

"Come on baby, I've got something that I need to show you." The two of them are giggling and repeatedly kissing each other as they stumble off to Harry's room.

 

"Ew!" Zayn screams at them, "Please try and keep it down, some of us want to save our virtue and actually sleep!" He receives the sound of the door slamming in response and an exaggerated moan.

 

"He definitely may have kissed me," Zayn says in response to Louis' teasing from earlier and out in the open to nobody, his heart feeling full to bursting. "Definitely may have." He closes his eyes again. Liam would be back after a short nap and maybe they could kiss some more, then go get that coffee.

 

He falls back asleep with a smile on his face.

 

**

 

When Zayn wakes up again Liam is back, if the closed door is anything to go by, so he quickly decides to shower and then tidy up the mess of his makeshift room. Ten minutes later he's stood in a towel and attempting to spike his hair up some, to give it some level, when he hears Liam's voice through the closed off door. He goes to open the door but something in Liam's tone makes him hesitate next to the door.

 

"Yeah," The muffled voice says. Zayn presses his ear closer to the door. "I just don't know what to tell him,"

 

Zayn's heart freezes and then jumps up his throat. He clutches the handle of the door with a tight grip to anchor himself. Was Liam talking about him, and if he was who was it to? He couldn't stop shaking and tears burnt his eyes. He felt like he couldn't breathe, a roaring sound taking over any thoughts and sounds. He wanted to scream, to cry, feeling much like the little boy on the playground who didn't know what to do when people whispered and stared when he drew pictures of his classmates as zombies. Zayn squeezes his eyes shut and tunes back in to the rest of Liam's conversation. "-anything more...he lives three hours away. We aren't like Harry and Louis, we hardly know each other. This was probably a big mistake."

 

Zayn clenches his jaw to fight off the rapidly approaching tears. So, Liam was sober enough to remember what happened but drunk enough that Zayn was a big mistake. Oddly, Zayn just wants to laugh. Wants to fall to the ground giggling until he lets himself cry because of course he would be foolish enough to believe that Liam wanted anything to do with him.

 

That mechanical engineer studying, rugged, beautiful Liam would want anything to do with someone who spent their days painting war scenes and working as a receptionist. He should have known that life wasn't like a fairy tale, or even like Harry and Louis' seemingly flawless relationship. Tugging his lower lip between his teeth harshly, he gives up on worrying how his hair looks.

 

He brushes his teeth with so much vigor that his gums begin to bleed and he rinses with ice cold water that sting that marks the bristles had caused. Pulling on a jumper and his ripped jeans, he comes out of the toilet without as much as a glance at Liam. Setting his bag down in front of the couch, he quickly makes up the bed. He can feel Liam's gaze on him and it makes his cheeks burn with shame.

 

He can't believe he was stupid enough to think Liam would want to grab coffee with him. He didn't want anything to do with his pity stares. Zayn catches Liam looking awkward, hovering near the counter but ignores Liam's floundering in favor of walking over to Harry's bedroom.

 

Hoping that the sex had ceased he raps three times in quick succession on Harry's door. Hearing a grunt and taking it as an invitation to come in, Zayn opens the door and is greeted by the sight of Harry and Louis spooning. Harry is behind a sleeping Louis, an arm around his waist and his face pressed between Louis shoulders.

 

"Sorry," Zayn says, "Didn't know you were sleeping."

 

"S'okay," Harry murmurs, "We only just laid down to sleep." Zayn can smell the heavy stench of sex and wants to scream but instead motions for the chair at the desk (covered in what looks like Louis' clothing) and tugs his jumper sleeves around his hands.

 

 

"Okay if I sit?" He asks feeling awkward but Harry nods with concern etched between his brow.

 

"S'matter?" Louis sleepily opens his eyes half mast and yawns.

 

"I...uh." Zayn starts, "I think I might try and see if I can exchange my ticket for a train tonight." Louis sits up and shrugs out of Harry's embrace who mirrors his boyfriends position. Louis reaches down and grabs a pair of hot pink pants off the ground and shimmies them up his hips under the blankets, and then slides a white Vans t-shirt on.

 

"What, why? Is everything okay?" Zayn doesn't dare look up at the couple who are staring worriedly back at him.

 

"I...I, uh. Just. I don't think things are going to work out..." He looks helplessly at Louis, and Harry looks confused, with Louis' eyes softening immediately and he lets out a quiet, 'oh.' Louis frowns and nods his head towards the door.

 

"Between...?" He asks and Zayn feels his voice catch in his throat as realization dawns on Harry and Louis looks even more upset. "Oh babe, what happened?"

 

"You know earlier when you were asking about last night...if we, uh, kissed." Louis nods, "Well, we did and I asked him if today we could go and get coffee or something? And he agreed to it but then went to sleep in his own room."

 

"Okay..." Louis trails off and bites his lip.

 

"But you're not having coffee with him, you're sitting here crying." Harry says confused and then winces when Louis elbows him in the ribs.

 

"Because I heard him on his mobile trying to figure out how to let me down," Zayn says softly and looks down at his clasped hands not wanting to cry again.

 

"Oh Zayn," Louis whispers and stands up to hug his best friend, albeit uncomfortably, with his junk pressed against Zayn's chin causing him to let out a surprised laugh.

 

"Baby," Harry chastises, "Get your dick out of his face." Louis backs up but not without moving so he's eye level and giving Zayn a real hug. "Do you think maybe you misunderstood him?"

 

"Don't think so, he made it really clear. He thinks we live to far apart and it was a giant mistake. Kissing me was a mistake to him."

 

"Liam said that?" Harry looks shocked, opening his arms for Louis to come sit back against him. "That doesn't sound like him."

 

"Well, guess we are all in for some surprises."

 

"But you can't leave," Louis' eyebrows knit together. "We already have to leave tomorrow. What if I took you to coffee? Harry can come too, or maybe we could all grab some dinner before H's exhibition and after we can go to a pub. Or a club. Anything you want and I'll find you a cute boy to kiss and go to coffee with." Zayn's heart tugs at how desperate and pitiful his best friend sounds and instantly feels guilty.

 

This weekend wasn't meant to be about him yet here he was crying in a bedroom over a boy who he hardly knew. Swallowing his self pity for the Liam situation he gives himself a mental shake and counts to ten. When he was little and his parents would fight he would sit inside his closet with his sisters and they would count, slowly, to help drown out the pain wracking their bodies.

 

'No emotions means no tears, which means no vulnerability and nobody hurting you. Count to ten and just forget.' He can hear his older sister in his ear. When he opens his eyes he sees both boys peering anxiously at him.

 

"Alright?" It's Harry who is cautious yet tender.

 

"I'm okay," Zayn stands up, "I would love to go out tonight after your show but I'll decline on coffee. And dinner."

 

"Zayn are you sure?" Louis asks, "I don't want you moping around if there's something I could do?"

 

"Louis it's fine. I think I'll just go get some coffee or something. There are a few works I should look at while I’m here that I’ve been studying anyways. I’ll just head over to Tate Modern and then give you a ring when I’m out to see where you guys are at.” Zayn nods his head towards the befuddled couple and walks out the door.

 

As he comes back into the living room he notices Liam sat on the couch with Netflix on, a mug of tea in his hand, and he turns to look uncomfortably at Zayn. “Hey,” Liam says awkwardly (reminding Zayn so much of just two afternoons ago when they had first met). “Just about to watch some Breaking Bad on Netflix…are…would you want to watch it too?” Liam winces at how stilted the question is.

 

Zayn so badly wants to say yes. Wants to heat himself up so tea and curl up under Liam’s warm embrace. He wants to watch twenty episodes in one sitting and put on his comfy socks that his mum had gotten him for his last birthday. Wants to laugh at the parts that Liam thinks are funny, and then hold his hand at the parts that aren’t. Zayn so badly wants to lock pinkies on the cushion in between them.

 

He steps towards the door instead.

 

Liam lets out a huff of air, probably one of relief, and then sits back down on the sofa. Zayn doesn’t bother to answer his question and walks out the door.

 

**

 

He’s jotting down notes on Nude Woman With Necklace by Pablo Picasso when his mobile buzzes with Louis’ name on the screen. “’Lo?”

 

“So, Harry is taking me out to dinner before his exhibition but we didn’t want to lock you out from the flat. Should we meet up so we could give you the keys?  You could come along with us if you’d like because I don’t want you to think I’ve invited you down here to see my boyfriend but just gone and le-“

 

“Lou, it’s fine. Are you leaving right now? I can come back to the flat and just get the key from you then.”

 

“No we haven’t left yet because Harry is bloody insistent that he’s going to wear some headband when he looks like an absolute pr…doll. You look darling in your headband but don’t you think it’s a bit much for your exhibition? You look so sexy with your hair pushed back.”

 

“Louis quit quoting Mean Girls to your boyfriend,” Zayn laughs as he waves to the attendant sitting by the entrance to the gallery section he was in.

 

“Sorry, he’s gone back into his room to find another shirt. He’s an absolute wreck let me tell you. Don’t know how we are going to make it to dinner let alone the exhibition with his nerves acting like this. I’ve already rimmed _and_ given him a blowie but he’s still so nervous. He wants to wear a fucking _headband_ to his first show, and almost cried when I suggested he didn’t. Anyways, what were you saying about coming here?”

 

“I said I’ll just come back to the flat before you go. Also please do not talk to me about rimming your boyfriend.” Zayn hisses the last bit but is unfortunately overhead by a woman who eyes him. He mouths sorry and rushes out the exit to escape having to be confronted by her.

 

“I would listen to you if you wanted to talk about rimming your boyfriend!”

 

“Whatever, you wouldn’t.” Zayn chuckles and begins to follow the orange streetlamps that lead him towards the tube stop. “Hey Lou, uh. Did Liam…has he said anything you guys since I left?”

 

Louis is uncannily quiet for a few beats before he says, “No, sorry love. Not to me at least and probably not to Haz. I only saw him right after you left and he was rushing out while I was on my way to the toilet.”

 

“Yeah, figures.” Zayn says quietly, “Well I’ll be back soon. Talk to you later, Lou.” He hangs up his mobile and walks down the stairs into the tube.

 

He could only hope Liam wouldn’t be there when he arrived back at the flat.

 

**

 

Liam was not there when he gets back, and he doesn’t show up as Zayn makes himself a healthy dinner of toast and four packets of cheddar and onion crisps. He may have snuck in a (3) Crunchie bar(s) but if he buried the wrapper(s) in the bottom of bin then nobody could actually pin him for it.

 

He dresses in the silence of the flat and slides his leather jacket on over a t-shirt with a bunch of doodles he had done, and his sister had gotten printed for a Christmas present a few years back. He locks the flat and decides against riding the tube only one stop and instead takes the fifteen minute walk to the studio, stopping every so often to find himself on the large maps that are printed on every corner to make sure he’s heading in the right direction.

 

As he walks he thinks about Liam and how uncomfortable it is going to be standing near him all evening. His stomach twists with the desire to just take off in the opposite direction, and run far from having to be so close to someone who wants nothing to do with him. As he waits for a car to pass so he can cross the street he watches sadly as a girl his age stood out front of a Costa runs up to a boy and they begin to kiss. Happy couples everywhere and Zayn was never going to be a part of them.

 

When he finally makes it to the studio he’s later than he expected he would be and knows Louis is freaking out if the constant buzzing of his mobile is anything to go by. He sees Louis stood near the glass window, worriedly chewing on his lower lip, clad in a pair of tight jeans and a blazer. His back is turned to Zayn as he listens to Harry talking about one of his pieces to an older couple both in matching full length fur coats.

 

Zayn grabs Louis’ sides and the boy jumps with a indigent huff but smiles when he realizes it’s Zayn. The smile slowly fades off his face, however, when he gets over the initial shock of Zayn surprising him. “You’re late,” He snaps at him, but Zayn doesn’t pay him much mind as he searches over the heads of people and spots Liam off to the side talking to a guy with cropped, dark, hair.

 

“Who is Liam talking to?” Zayn asks Louis who is rambling off about how the old couple hadn’t stopped talking to Harry for the past twenty minutes and Louis was getting fed up with waiting for his boyfriend to pay attention to him again.

 

“What, where?” Louis’ head swivels before he spots Liam and he points (unsubtly) at the pair. “Oh that guy there?”

 

“Yes, _Jesus Louis_ learn some subtly. Put your fucking finger down.” He grabs Louis’ hands before everyone can notice him pointing and glares.

 

“That’s Tom he’s in one of Harry’s courses. We met him the other night don’t you remember him?” Zayn stares at the boy for a few seconds before recognizing him as the one with a girlfriend named Sophie or Sophia. He had a hard time keeping track of the dozens of people that had attended the party.

 

“Oh, sure, I remember him now.” Zayn feels silly for the spark of jealousy that had gone through him.

 

“Have you tried talking to Liam since…you know?” Louis asks curiously

 

“Nope, haven’t said a word to him. He never came home after you two left.”

 

“Odd, I thought Harry said Liam was going to come back to the flat…”

 

“Well, he didn’t.” Zayn hates being short with Louis but he doesn’t want to talk about Liam with him so close by and out in the open where anyone could overhear.

 

“Okay, I understand.” Louis says, “Come on I think there are some mini sausages at the table in the back. Let’s eat away our sorrows of the men who don’t want to pay attention to our beauty.”

 

“Your boyfriend pays you _to_ much attention most days, I think you can go a half hour with him actually doing his presentation and not catering to you.” Zayn teases.

 

“That’s absurd,” Louis grabs a small plate and begins to fill it up with peppers stuffed with goat cheese and toothpicked sausages which he then douses in the mustard.

 

“Didn’t you eat?” Zayn follows suit with his own plate however.

 

“Of course but I’ve had a lot of sex since being on this trip so I need to keep up my nourishment in case I lose consciousness in the middle of sucking his dick,”

 

“Cute,” Zayn says and then feels a tap on his shoulder. As he turns around he sees Liam standing there with huge doe eyes staring up at him. “Oh.” His voice cracks, “Er. Hi…hello.”

 

“Hi,” Liam frowns slightly and avoids Zayns eyes. “Could…could you pass me one of the plates?”

 

Zayns heart sinks but he does what Liam asks without another word and then forces his legs to move before the conversation become even more uncomfortable and ends up by a black and white photograph of Louis’ bare back, lower half covered under a sheet, staring out a window. “It’s beautiful isn’t it?” Harry is stood behind him.

 

“Conceited,” Zayn sticks his tongue out at him causing Harry to chuckle.

 

“I meant Louis, not the photograph. But if I say so myself it’s a pretty well done one.”

 

“It’s really good,” Zayn agrees and feels a bit awkward without the barrier of Louis between them. “Uh…Louis was looking for you. He was upset over not getting a lot of attention or something.”

 

“Yeah I know,” Harry smiles, “But I was looking for you. I talked to Liam earlier.”

 

“Oh.” Zayn puts the sausage that was halfway to his mouth back on the plate.

 

“I think maybe you misunderstood what he was saying,” Zayn feels a spark of anger through him at Harry’s words.

 

“I don’t think so.” He says firmly.

 

“He does like you,” Harry starts, “He thinks you don’t remember what happened. Maybe you should go talk to him.”

 

“Maybe.” Zayn doesn’t want to make any commitments that he knows aren’t going to turn out well for him in the end. He stopped promising himself and other people things a long time ago and he wasn’t going to let his interest in Liam get a hold of him. They both stand quietly, shoulder to shoulder, as they stare at the portrait of Louis but aren’t really looking.

 

“I’m going to find Lou,” Harry says and Zayn hadn’t noticed that Harry had turned in the direction where Louis was stood (Zayn was _so_ shocked), “Think he’s probably up for a bit of a cuddle. Looks like Charlotte from one of my classes has him cornered- she can talk for _ages._ ” He dashes off and Zayn notices that Liam has moved from the food table and Zayn can’t seem to spot him anywhere.

 

“Hi,” A voice says next to him causing him to jump and almost upend his plate of sausages. “Oh, oh God I’m so sorry!” Liam is helping catch all the sausages that had begun to topple off the wiggle plate.

 

“It’s fine, it’s fine!” Zayn tries to reach for the falling sausages, forgetting about his plate, and letting to drop over onto his foot let the mustard splattering all over his boots and they both stand there in a stunned silence as the sausages roll around on the ground finally coming still.

 

“Uh…sorry,” Liam says awkwardly as people around them stare along at the mess on the floor. The entire situation is ridiculous, and Zayn can’t understand why Liam is stood next to him but all of a sudden the laughter he feels begins to bubble over. He can’t help the giggles that erupt out of him, and then unexpectedly he’s snorting and wiping tears from his eyes which only make him laugh harder.

 

Liam stares on confused but he too begins to laugh and suddenly he’s on the ground with Zayn and the two are trying to pick up the sausages but their hands are shaking so bad from the giggling they all slip through their fingers and roll between their legs. The people who had been staring before wrinkle their foreheads in confusion not understanding the joke, and then their noses wrinkle up in disgust as the boys pass sausages back and forth with snorts of laughter.

 

“S-sorry,” Zayn hiccups and wipes his eyes, “I dunno what was so funny. Just couldn’t control myself,” He lets out a sigh of breath and then catches Liam staring at him out of the corner of his eye. Zayn blushes.

 

“I came over because I wanted to talk to you about…uh,” Liam cuts himself off, “It’s okay that you were laughing. You look cute when you laugh and are covered in sausage.” He changes the subject with his cheeks going bright red.

 

“Thanks,” Zayn whispers awkwardly and stares down at the yellow stain on his boot.

 

“But, I really did want to talk to you about yesterday.” Liam says and shifts so that their knees are touching.

 

“It’s fine,” Zayn starts to stand up but Liam stops him with a hand squeeze on his knee.

 

“It’s not. I think there was some confusion between us.” Liam quirks an awkward smile at him, “I spoke with Harry and he tells me you heard my conversation earlier while I was talking to my sister, Ruth.” Liam presses on and when he doesn’t receive an answer from Zayn he frowns a bit. “I owe you an apology but I really think you misunderstood what was going on.”

 

“Not sure if I did though,” Zayn says, “It’s alright, Liam. You don’t know have to worry about it. It’s understandable.”

 

“No!” Liam shouts and people stare over at them again, “No. Please. Zayn, I thought you didn’t remember anything. I woke up in the morning and thought about how much you had drank the night before, and we were both drinking so much and I thought maybe it was just heat of the moment. Things between Nick and Louis escalated so quickly and we both were worked up and then you came out. I was worried that you didn’t remember and you kissed me because you admitted you were gay. Not because you actually wanted to. I was wrong to assume that though, Zayn, and I’m so sorry for that. I just tried to justify it over the phone to my sister by saying we lived far apart. I don’t think it matters that with live far apart, I mean look at our best friends. Not everyone is like Harry and Louis but maybe…you and I could try?”

 

“You…thought I didn’t remember, or that I didn’t like you?” Zayn asks in awe.

 

“I know it’s so silly, I shouldn’t have thought that at all. I was going to talk to you about it when you were at the food table but I lost my nerve when you turned around you looked so beautiful standing there near the table-“ Zayn stops him with a finger to his lips.

 

“Liam, shh. Really. I thought you didn’t  like _me._ There is absolutely not a chance in Hell that I wouldn’t like you. You’re funny, smart, good-looking, sweet. And you cared enough to sit on the ground and laugh over spilled sausages with me. I’m not the least bit angry with you. I hope you aren’t angry with me for taking what I overheard the wrong way instead of just confronting you about it.” Zayn looks down at his hands.

 

“It’s alright, honest. I think if it was me I probably would have done the same.” Zayn smiles up at him. “You never took me to coffee.” Liam says with a furrow to his brow and Zayns eyes widen in surprise.

 

“I thought we just went over thi-“ He doesn’t get a chance to finish his sentence before Liam is kissing him, lips soft against Zayn’s own and the stubble of his beard brushing against Zayn’s cheeks.

 

“Oi!” Harry slaps a hand down on Liam’s shoulder and it causes both of them to jump back, Zayn licking his lips to stop the tingling but both are smiling at each other. “I’m really glad you two have kissed and made up, _literally,_ but I have to say. There’s sausage all over the floor and nobody wants to watch you two get it on in the middle of my art show.” Louis wraps an arm around Harry’s waist and kisses his boyfriends shoulder and tries to hide the grin he has as he wiggles his eyebrows up and down at Zayn.

 

“You’re right.” Liam stands up and offers a hand to Zayn who has collected all the sausages up at Harry’s scorning and put them back onto the plate. “I’ll grab Zayn a napkin to wipe up and then I am taking him to coffee. No excuses.” He points a finger and Zayn’s heart flutters as he watches Liam walk over to the table.

 

“Glad you talked,” Is all Harry can get out before Liam gets back and bends down on one knee.

 

“My Cinderella?” Zayn laughs, embarrassed at the treatment but the dopey look that graces Liam’s face makes him lift his foot anyways to be cleaned of any mustard.

 

“Coffee, my prince?” Zayn says back to him and Liam laughs as they link arms and walk out the door into the chilly evening air.

 

The last thing Zayn hears as the door to the gallery closes is, “Why haven’t you done that for me?” From Louis’ mouth and Harry’s laughter. He looks to Liam and Liam smiles back down at him his arm sliding from where it was griped on Zayn’s elbow to slide into his hand.

 

“Thanks,” Zayn says as they head down the street.

 

“For what?” Liam asks curiously.

 

“Taking me to coffee…and having enough courage to talk to me.”

 

“It’s nothing,” Liam smiles, “Anything for you.” 

**Author's Note:**

> Please remember to leave any comments (constructive or not!) and kudos (if you think it is deserving). Thanks for reading my friends :). 
> 
>  
> 
> This is meant to be the last installment of this series but would anyone like to read about the Harry/Louis/Nick date fiasco? I'm down for any ideas you guys have :). I've loved writing these!


End file.
